Johnny was a yogi from birth. He could sit in a lotus position without any strain, then pitch forward and fall asleep with his head between his knees. It was not unusual to find him in that position on the floor in front of the television. Someone told David that John could levitate in this trance state, and David followed John around for months trying to catch him in the act.
John attended the Exceptional Children's School at the Presbyterian Church in Pacific Palisades until he was about 10 years old. It was run by Ruth Haldeman, whose son Fred was also a student. I think this might have been John's birthday party in 1974. The others whose names I remember are Steve Hill, Chris Libbett, Johnny Lever, and Eileen Snowhook.
For a short period of time John tried to model his life after Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy." He liked the whole bandleader vibe - initials on the bandstand, everybody following his cues, giving joy to the audience - and he put up with Lucy's storylines just to watch Ricky take command at the Club. But he soon realized that television is not real life. His efforts to organize the other students at the Exceptional Children's School into a big band were endlessly frustrating. His best friend Steve Hill was possibly the worst offender. He and John rehearsed endlessly, with John repeatedly tapping out the rhythm on his xylophone to give Steve cues to play his tambourine with the beat. But Steve never picked it up, and John, incredulous, took it personally.
